Dan Rice grew up at Oxford Orphanage and lived there for 10 years. After he graduated from high school he attended UNC-CH where he majored in math. After college he went to work in the tire business and eventually owned Piedmont Truck Tires for 38 years before selling it in 2022. Dan has been very active helping children through the orphanage that he grew up in by serving on their board of directors for several decades. Dan started donating to HORSEPOWER Therapeutic Learning Center years ago and then ended up on their board. When HORSEPOWER decided to purchase their property, they also decided to create a foundation to hold the property and other select assets. Dan was appointed Chairman of the HORSEPOWER Foundation where he has continued to serve there since. Dan was on the receiving end of help early in his life and now he wants to give back and help children through HORSEPOWER’s wonderful programs.
Emily Britt grew up in Thomasville, NC. She attended UNC Greensboro for her BS in Entrepreneurship and upon graduating, went to work full time at UNCG. While working, Emily obtained her MBA from UNCG’s Bryan School of Business in December 2020. Currently she serves as a Donor Experience Officer for UNCG. Emily was introduced to HORSEPOWER in June of 2021 by Perry Flynn and loved what they do and who they serve. With many of her family being Veterans, this is an organization that touched her heart. It was through seeing HORSEPOWER in action she joined the Foundation Board.
Caroline North joined HORSEPOWER in 2014 to help primarily with fundraising. She also serves on the HORSEPOWER Foundation Board and is a Side Walker. Caroline graduated from UNC-Greensboro in 1996 with a Masters in Education and has spent numerous years volunteering with local non-profit organizations. She spent the most time with Planned Parenthood, The Women’s Resource Center and Habitat for Humanity. Caroline loves the family atmosphere at HORSEPOWER between the staff, volunteers, and the riders.
Jim Burgio Jr. in his early years from Astoria, Queens NY. Graduated with a BA from St. John’s University. Started ATI laminated in Greensboro in 1979, locally employs approx. 80 people in its 70,000 sq. ft. facility. The facility has one of the largest solar panel systems in Greensboro and has been ISO 9001 and ISO 14000 certified to contribute to green manufacturing. CEO advanced Technology, Inc. A producer of unique products for interior design including applications for walls, ceiling, countertops, and more, in both thermoformed plastics and decorative metals. Active in the community helping Veterans that are in need. A Veteran of the Vietnam war era proudly serving in the USMC achieving the rank of Captain. On B of D’s of The War Memorial Foundation during fund raising (as its Co-Chairman) and during the construction of the Carolina Field of Honor (the largest Military Memorial outside of Washington D.C.) located in Triad Park. Also, the recipient of 4 US patents regarding decorative plastics and metals and honored by the Red Cross’s “Salute to Heroes” for his work with Veterans. Jim enjoys traveling. boating, food and drink, and helping others in the community.
Carolyn Gorga, What first drew me to HORSEPOWER was the commitment so readily observable from the numerous volunteers caring for the horses, assisting with the clients and maintaining the facility. This program takes a rather large “villiage” to run – and they had been doing this for over 28 years! I just had to take a closer look and find out why did this place have such a strong volunteer base? How did they get the wonderful facility, ample acerage, and strong leadership? And then I saw the children . . .and it all became clear. The dedication of HORSEPOWER to provide therapeutic horseback riding and assisted activities to children and adults with physical and/or emotional needs is a significant benefit to the health of our community. A benefit which strengthens and empowers us all.
Amy Nelson grew up in Madison, NC. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Duke University. She has worked at Lincoln Financial for 26 years in the life, annuity and actuarial areas. She was first introduced to Horsepower when her daughter began volunteering, first cleaning stalls and then as a sidewalker. Amy’s sister, Shannon, who has Rett Syndrome, is now a regular rider at Horsepower and loves her time there! Amy has seen first-hand the impact that Horsepower makes in the lives of its riders and their families and is excited to be involved with the organization! Amy currently resides in High Point with her husband Richard and their daughter Abigail and is an active member of Westover Church in Greensboro.
Dr. Paul R. Damiano has focused his career on helping individuals and organizations become better versions of themselves. With a strong background in business and industrial/organizational psychology, Paul is uniquely positioned to help people in the business world grow, develop, and achieve measurable goals. A true believer in the “practice what you preach” philosophy, he is a lifelong learner who continually challenges himself to grow and push his own boundaries throughout his career. Paul is the President of Good Works Consulting, a firm he founded in 2006. He is certified in more than sixty workplace assessments, including individual personality profiles, team and group assessments, and organizational change and culture diagnostics. Through his work, Paul helps individuals, teams, and organizations better understand themselves, strengthen their relationships, and work toward meaningful goals. Paul has been a valued member of the HORSEPOWER family since 2009. Over the years, he has supported HORSEPOWER in many ways, always willing to lend a helping hand when needed. In fact, he is affectionately known around the farm as “Hay Paul” because he can often be counted on to pitch in during hay delivery days.
Mary has been volunteering with HORSEPOWER since 2006. After graduating from the University of Delaware with a BS in Agriculture, Mary worked in a variety of roles in the agricultural products industry, relocating to Greensboro in 2001 with Syngenta. After leaving Syngenta, Mary spent 13 years as a human resources consultant. Having a flexible schedule, she went in search of an outdoor volunteer opportunity and discovered HORSEPOWER. Though nervous at first about working with individuals with disabilities, Mary was quickly swept up by the passion and enthusiasm of the staff and volunteers and the significance of what HORSEPOWER was doing to help those in need. in 2013 Mary installed HORSEPOWER’s donor management system, doing data entry, preparing reports, sending thank you letters and other communications, and managing the system until 2023. While continuing to help with occasional data projects and communications, Mary is looking forward to further support this amazing organization as a member of the Board